Camo Aguilera's Photos Reveal Colombia's New Face

Camo's amongst the first in the country to have a photography blog — one that unveils South America's potential as a generator of trends (and Colombia as a land of hipsters). The "Youth-centric & freestyle photographer" juggles local ideals of beauty, and globalized aesthetics (that he's discovered all online; he's never left the country). His work reflects a hybrid look of proud, bold, elegant femininity, at the crossroads of Bogota and Dazed and Confused.
He freelances, but also regularly contributes to magazines such as the local hip Neon magazine, or indie publication, such as the British `Stimulus Respond'.

We met him in Medellin, Colombia to talk about South American clichés, globalization and finding inspiration at home.

ELLE: Your style's something like Pop meets traditional Colombia beauty ideals. Why is that?CA: I still don't have a very clear view of what's considered South American aesthetics, but if there's a European I guess there's a South American as well. You must also understand that there are many differences among the countries in our region, the same way a Parisian has a different character and taste than a Swede, a German or a Spaniard.
This said, I believe the tendency towards the Europeanization of style is due to globalization and the easiness and immediacy of being able to watch mags from all around the world through flipbooks and PDF's. What's true is the fact that mainstream magazines are not very good, independent publications are the ones that shine, like Regia Magazine from Argentina or Neon here in Colombia. Europe is a place that's open to new ideas, while everything coming out of South America is always framed by the same kind of look. This is unfortunate because our colorful continent has the potential to come up with a very influential and diverse look. South America isn't just about Brazilian soccer or Livin' la Vida Loca.

ELLE: So where do you see Colombia in your work?CA:
In my friends! We all share that warmth that identifies us and I think my photographs are fresh, joyful, spontaneous and natural because that's the way my friends are —like most Colombians— so my friends become my models. I felt I just gave you a beauty queen kind of answer, but it's true. Technically, I like to take my pictures as much as possible using natural light or mixing it with the flashlight in order to achieve a feeling that's more natural and spontaneous while keeping it sophisticated. In Colombia everything looks brighter, hence the overexposure of my photos. Perhaps they could be more colorful, but this characteristic is what sets me apart from the Latin American influence.

ELLE:
Why are there so few bloggers there? What gave you the idea to start a blog?

CA:
Photography is my medium for artistic expression, besides blogging them I also expose them in galleries.
I'm a blogger because I like to make my photos more accessible to more people, so they can be inspired by them. The internet has made this a much simpler task. I simply like to share my point of view, especially with other Colombians, so I can offer them a different outlook than the one that's being produced massively. If I would have waited for Colombian magazines to get interested in my work this process would have taken longer. Eighty percent of my work never gets published in print media.
Of course, there's no feeling like opening a physical magazine, feeling the paper in your fingertips and seeing your picture there. That's why I enjoy taking pictures for magazines. No matter the media through which they're exposed, my photographs are gifts for my friends and for people who I may or may not know, so they can be inspired, enchanted, and hopefully, influenced by them.

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